Nagaina, the female cobra, has indicated her desire to kill all the humans, which will cause Rikk-Tikk-Tavi, the mongoose, to leave, ensuring that she will be queen of the garden. While Rikki is off destroying her eggs, she moves onto the veranda and is poised to strike Teddy. Rikki lures her away with the last of her eggs. Rikki then begins to fight her, jumping around her in a circle, causing her to strike out...
Nagaina, the female cobra, has indicated her desire to kill all the humans, which will cause Rikk-Tikk-Tavi, the mongoose, to leave, ensuring that she will be queen of the garden. While Rikki is off destroying her eggs, she moves onto the veranda and is poised to strike Teddy. Rikki lures her away with the last of her eggs. Rikki then begins to fight her, jumping around her in a circle, causing her to strike out at him repeatedly. Each time she hits her head on the matting of the veranda. She then takes her egg in her mouth and, "like a whiplash," speeds across the path to the garden. Then, with the egg in her mouth, Nagaina vanishes down the rat hole where she has been living. Rikki, in an action even most adult mongooses would not try, follows her into her lair. The birds outside cannot see what is happening; they assume the worst. But eventually Rikki emerges, covered with dirt, saying, "It is all over. ... The widow will never come out again." Rikki then lies down on the grass and goes to sleep, "for he had done a hard day's work."
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